A whole Lone Rock Community Fall Festival, actually, with live music, opportunities to throw a pie at the principal, games and homemade pie. The goal is to raise enough money to save the instrumental band and orchestra programs threatened by the loss of Lone Rock's music teacher.
The 285-student K-12 district east of the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge failed to pass its mill levy last May by 130 votes, triggering more than $100,000 in cuts. In addition to postponing a new math program purchase and eliminating some of the more expensive items from the cafeteria grocery list, the Lone Rock School Board decided to let go the middle-school music teacher.
“The teachers understand music is a big thing,” Hill said. “If Lone Rock loses its music program, it loses enrollment of students. And then we lose the per-student funding.”
The instructor must be paid by the outside groups because the school district may not replace a laid-off teacher's contract and install a cheaper alternative. Instead, Lone Rock Superintendent Mark Anderson said the solution is similar to programs that bring writers, poets or other skilled artists into classrooms on a regular but informal basis.
“We're still in the process of working that out,” Anderson said of the legal and accreditation details surrounding the new music program. “But we're doing this so the kids can have back something they've lost. We admire the community spirit that's making this happen.”
Hill said building community spirit is another goal of Saturday's festival. Lone Rock isn't a town, but a dispersed neighborhood. Its residents do their business in Stevensville, three miles to the southwest, which is where Lone Rock middle-schoolers head to high school.
“I think some people don't realize we're a different district,” Hill said. “We are not Stevensville - we are Lone Rock. This community is roughly 2,500 people.”
About 50 of them play instruments in Lone Rock's middle-school band and orchestra. The temporary music instructor will work with those children a couple days a week, at a cost of about $8,000 a year. Hill said Arts of Lone Rock has already gathered about $3,000. Saturday's festival and another tentatively set for November will come with more, and the members are hunting other donations to finish the job.
“If we don't earn money by December, we have no music program,” Hill said. “Also we also want to get the community back together in Lone Rock.”
The festival is aimed at all ages, from bounce-room rompers to bingo players, as well as anyone who wants to offer at least a dollar to throw a pie at Lone Rock Principal Dave Cluff. He said he's willing to smile at all tossers, but added that extra donations are also appreciated.
Along with the fellowship and cheap food, the festival may forge better connections between the Lone Rock residents and their public school. That could be essential when the trustees attempt another mill levy election next May.
“It's a great endeavor to bring these people together,” Anderson said. “We don't have a post office, so the school is the focal point of community.”
Reporter Rob Chaney can be reached at 523-5382 or at rchaney@missoulian.com.
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